Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 22nd, 2020

Evidence of meeting #2 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was turkey.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Briefing on the Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

David Sproule Senior Arctic Official and Director General, Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Clerk of the Committee Ms. Erica Pereira

Shalini Anand Acting Director General, Export Controls, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

5:40 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Do you have an assessment of the humanitarian difficulties there now? We've heard reports today that even some of the medical personnel who are dealing with the wounded are themselves affected by COVID. Is there some overall assessment of that? Can you tell us about it?

5:40 p.m.

Senior Arctic Official and Director General, Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

David Sproule

We will continue to get in touch with humanitarian organizations, such as the ICRC and those who do have some sort of eyes on the ground—which are minimal of course—to find out. We will also liaise carefully with many like-minded countries who do have missions in those countries and who usually are very active and supportive of our efforts to find information and to assess the situation as it evolves.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann

Thank you very much, Mr. Sproule and Mr. Harris.

Thank you, Mr. Sproule and Ms. Anand, for your presence here today. We've gone a bit past our scheduled time, but this extended second round has allowed each party to ask an additional set of questions.

My thanks to all of my colleagues for their indulgence, and also to our IT team for trying so hard to keep us connected. These are not easy times with technology, but we will find our way forward and solve challenges.

The meeting is adjourned until our next session.